If you had to eat any live animal, you would probably opt for one that does not have eight arms, dozens of powerful suction cups and the ability to choke you once ingested.
But none of that seems to have bothered these foodies, who spent yesterday tucking into the raw and slimy invertebrates at a food festival in South Korea’s capital Seoul.
They were not even put off by a court ruling – issued the same day – that declared a woman’s death to be the result of choking on a live octopus.
The woman’s 32-year-old boyfriend had been convicted of murder after it emerged they had taken out a £120,000 life insurance policy, days before she died in Incheon City.
But the decision was reversed after the defendant – identified only as Mr Kim – explained to the supreme court how she had collapsed after downing her still-writhing meal.
As the enthusiastic festival-goers show, octopus remains a popular delicacy in South Korea despite the choking hazard posed by the suction cups.
Smaller creatures are eaten whole, while larger ones are taken live from the tank and cut into bite-size pieces. The legs stay active for some time, clinging to the inside of the mouth.